Car-coupling



(No'ModeL) T. WELGH.

I OAR COUPLING. No. 373.210.

Patented Nov, 15, 1887.

I in Fig. 1.

THOMAS wELoH, or PAW PAW, MICHIGAN.

CAR-COUPLING.

' SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 373,210, dated November 15, 1887.

Application filed March 28, 1887. Serial No. 232,804. (No model.)

To all whom) it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS WELcH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paw Paw, county of Van Buren, State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Car-Coupling, of which the following isa specification.

This invention has for its object certain improvements in the means for coupling cars, substantially as below described and claimed.

In the drawings forming a part of this specification Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the contiguous ends of two broken cars with couplings attached; Fig. 2, a plan of lettered details; Fig. 3, a section on the dotted line 1 1 in Fig. 1, looking from a point at the left hand; and Fig. 4 is an under view of lettered details Referring to the lettered parts of the drawings, A are the cars having the ordinary drawbars, B. The under side of the draw-bar, at right hand in Fig. 1, is provided with a hook open at the rear. This hook X may be made integral with the draw-bar; but for draw-bars already in use the hook is made integral with a bar, U, attached to the. under side of the draw-bar by means of confining-clips V, or by any other suitable means.

At 0 is a spring-actuated bridge, the rear end of said bridge beingpassed through a loop (pendent from the under side of the car) and resting ona spring, 13. This loop E has one side removed in Fig. 1, showing the spring supported by the lower bar of said loop. The forward end of the bridge 0 is hinged to the lower arched bar of the loop d, Fig. 3. The bridge 0 is thus directly beneath the hook X, and in its normal position is held in contact with said hook. From the hook to the forward end the bridge inclines downward. One end of the link D is attached in a hinged manner by means of the bar U, having the loop or eye which retains the loop end of the link. This bar is attached to its draw-bar B by like clips,

V. If preferred, the construction may be alike at each end of both cars, as shown beneath the right-hand car. The link is supported, when the cars are not coupled, by a loop, a, in substantially a horizontal position, or nearly so. The link D is bowed downward between its two ends, Fig. 1, so as to clear the bumpers; but the ordinary straight link made of sufficient length may be used. The link D is made heavier in the center than at the ends to obviate danger of straightening.

In the operation of coupling, the cars are brought together end to end, as in'Fig. l,which action causes the end of the link to slide up the incline of the bridge 0, and as the cars are brought closer together the bridge is forced to tilt downward against a spring resistance by the end of the link which is forced behind the hook X. (In Fig. 1 the end of the link is just ready to force the bridge down.) When the cars start ahead, the end of the link catches the hook, as in Fig. 4, because the spring 13 has raised the bridge againstthe hook X, which keeps the link up to enter the hook. Such a coupling will work successfully on cars .of different heights.

At S is a lever reaching to the top of the car, and fulcrumed to the bracket tat the lower end. It is retained in place by loops on the side of the car. The lever has an extension, r, adapted to bear upon the bridge 0 and force it down when the lever is swung forward. The dotted lever and bridge in Fig. 1 show this action, which is had when uncoupling the cars to allow the link to lower below the hook X, so as to be drawn out of the coupling.

Of course, in uncoupling, the cars are slackened enough to carry the end bar of the link back of the end of the hook. The handles y b of the lever S are connected by a rod, 1;, pivoted to them. The lower handle, which has a shoulder to catch over a lug on the loop 0, may

be used to operate the lever from the ground,

unlatch it. tached to the lever S for the engineersuse.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is- 1. In a car'coupling, a draw-bar having a hook on the under side, in combination with a bridge adapted to cont-act said hook, inclined downward therefrom, pivotally supported at one end, and spring-supported at the other end, alink bowed downward between the ends, and a suitablelever for bearing the bridge down to allow the link to uncouple, substantially as set forth. i

2. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-bar, a bar (bearing a hook) attached to and the handle y to raise the latch-handle b to it shows a rod which may be atthe under side by eonfiningclips, a bridge In testimony of the foregoing I have hereadapted to contact said hook, the bridge being unto subscribed my name in presence of two inclined at one end downward, pivotally supwitnesses.

ported at said end and spring-supported at the THOS. WELGH. 5 other end,.a coupling-link, and a suitable lever Witnesses:

for bearing the bridge down when uncoupling, JOHN GALLIGAN,

substantially as set forth. JOHN C. PERKINS.

l l l 

